Now that my guys are in preschool, we get invited to lots of birthday parties! We enjoy giving the birthday girl or boy a book! My older son likes to pick them out and we usually end up giving one that is a favorite of ours. A lot of our friends do the same for my boys, so its a great way to see what others are reading!

Our favorite book gift has been The Curious Garden by Peter Brown. A wonderful story about a little boy and his garden and how nature can grow in unexpected places! Great lessons on the environment, being a part of a community, and patience. Great for “city kids”!

We then also wrap the gift in one of our eco-friendly lunch bags! Its a perfect fit for a large book! On sale for $6.00, these lunch bags can be used again and again for more than just lunch! They make great toy bags for the car or beach too.

So when you are thinking of gifts for kids, think books! All kids love them and I’m sure the parents will love them too! (Don’t forget to support your local book shops too! Check out Indiebound.Org for links to your local independent book shops!)

Almost Green: How I Saved 1/6th of a Billionth of the Planet by James Glave is one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time! But whats great about the book is that I learned a lot too!

Almost Green is about one man’s quest to live a more green lifestyle and make better choices, despite owning an SUV! James Glave takes us on a ride as he builds an “eco-shed” for himself in the backyard and tries to answer some good questions we all should think about. How can I live more sustainably? How can I afford it? What expense will this be to my kids and family? All along the way, I laughed out loud and learned something too-every bit counts!

You can find out more about the author and see pictures of the eco-shed at his website too! Click here!

Check this book out from the library or buy it today! Its well worth it!!!

I got the cutest book for Christmas last year 1,001 Ways to Save the Planet by Joanna Yarrow. Its the cutest book ever, small and chunky with wonderful illustrations and really great tips!

There are so many tips, I haven’t even made it through the book yet, but there is something great on every page. Just a few random ones…. Wrap gifts in reusable fabric. Encourage your little ones to be “green helpers” by having kids check to make sure the lights are out or to take out the compostable materials. Instead of using harsh chemicals to clean your oven, make a paste out of baking soda and water. Leave on for one hour then rub off. Deter fleas naturally by putting finely chopped garlic in their food twice a week. The fleas won’t like their blood. eeewwww. But you can see, I can go on and on and on!

I just love the idea of having really simple things I can do around the house or with my family that actually does some good!

This book makes a great gift or check it out from your local library. Its a fun book to read and really inspiring too!